Pierside Village

In a move to shield the controversial Pierside Village project from a citizens' initiative in Tuesday's election, the City Council majority has put the beach-area development proposal on its agenda for Monday night. Critics charge that the unexpected move is a deliberate attempt to thwart voters the day before a hotly contested city election.

Because of the Planning Commission's deadlocked vote this week on Pierside Village, a city growth-limit initiative on the Nov. 6 ballot will now be perceived as a referendum on the controversial proposal, supporters and opponents of the project said Wednesday. The commissions' 3-3 split late Tuesday on the planned restaurant complex postpones the City Council's final consideration of the project until after the election because the Planning Commission will not readdress the matter until its Nov.

After four hours of heated debate, the city Planning Commission on Tuesday night deadlocked 3 to 3 on the Pierside Village project, forcing continuation of discussions of the controversial development at the commission's next meeting. "I feel it's a political pork barrel issue that we are being rousted into making a decision on," Commissioner Barry Williams said in explaining why he voted against the project. "I don't know why we have to have these things shoved down our throats like this."

City planners are urging the Planning Commission to scale back a portion of the controversial Pierside Village proposal, which commissioners are scheduled to consider at a special meeting tonight after a series of delays. The planning staff is recommending that the commission eliminate 6,250 square feet of shops included in the developer's proposed restaurant complex.

I would like to respectfully disagree with Geri Ortega, chairman of the Huntington Beach Planning Commission, and her opposition to the Pierside Village project ("Public Use of Prime Land Must Come Before Private," Sept. 22). On the contrary, I look forward to this badly needed improvement to our pier area. The commissioner labels the project "massive commercial building on the beachfront," which is not a correct statement. As I understand the plans, the existing building, Maxwell's Restaurant, would be replaced with a new structure.

Undaunted by arguments that the Pierside Village project would block ocean views, one planning commissioner has suggested that the proposed restaurants be built as much as 5 feet higher than planned. During the Planning Commission's last preliminary hearing on the project's environmental impact report Tuesday, Commissioner Ken Bourguignon said he believes the height of the three buildings should be elevated 3 to 5 feet to avoid potential flooding problems.

Councilman John Erskine, who decided last week not to seek reelection this year, said in an interview that he plans to spend his political hiatus lobbying for issues he has championed during his council term. Erskine, who plans to leave city politics for a few years to spend more time with his family, said that after leaving office in November he may help promote Pierside Village and an outdoor youth sports complex planned for Huntington Central Park, among other projects.

Despite the protests of some environmental and citizens' groups, the City Council on Friday voted 4 to 2 to put a measure on the Nov. 6 ballot that would rival another initiative by Save Our Parks. The Save Our Parks measure would forbid the city from selling or leasing parkland or beach land without a citywide vote. The rival measure approved by the council majority would restrict sales but would still allow leasing of parkland or beach land without a citywide referendum.

The leader of an environmental activist group who had accused the city of using its cable-television station to lobby for the controversial Pierside Village project will be given equal air time to oppose the project, a city spokesman said Wednesday. The announcement quieted a furor ignited during the past week when Bob Biddle, president of Huntington Beach Tomorrow, assailed the city for broadcasting a program on Channel 3 featuring Pierside Village developer Jonathan Chodos.